Happy anniversary Obamacare, not

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They screamed, they begged and cajoled trying to point out the truth, but everyone called them liars. When people pointed out that the $500 billion dollars cut from Medicare was being double counted into the cost estimates, the progressives pushing the president’s signature plan eviscerated them. Almost one year after Obamacare was signed into law, we are finally finding out the truth; the savings were indeed double counted and the health care plan will be adding a half of a trillion dollars to our already bloated national debt.
Last week, the House Energy, Commerce, and Health Subcommittee heard testimony from Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. Representative John Shimkus (R-IL) asked about double counting the $500 billion of savings which seemed to still help the bottom line of Medicare and, at the very same time, contribute to the funding of Obamacare.
“There is an issue here on the budget because your own actuary has said you can’t double-count,” said Shimkus. “You can’t count — they’re attacking Medicare on the CR when their bill, your law, cut $500 billion from Medicare. Then you’re also using
the same $500 billion to what? Say you’re funding health care. Your own actuary says you can’t do both. […] What’s the $500 billion in cuts for? Preserving
Medicare or funding the health-care law?”
Shimkus said he said he was “shocked” to learn about the double counting. “We knew the health care law’s actual cost was much greater than originally told to the public,” he said. “And now, the truth is slowly coming out in administration reports and testimony.”
The Congressman must have a poor memory because two months earlier, in late January, the Chief Medicare Actuary, Richard Foster testified before Congress and was asked about the double counting. Foster’s answer was that the plan robs Peter to pay Paul.
“My answer is a definitive yes and no,” Foster said when asked if Obama’s health law double-counted.  “The funds go from the Medicare trust fund to the Treasury general fund, and then can be used to pay for Medicaid. But at some point, the trust fund will need the money it lent out, perhaps when it comes time to pay recipients out of the fund. [A] Hundred dollars can’t be spent as $100 toward health-care reform and as $100 toward health-care expenditures. That takes $200,” Foster said. “The key thing is when you go back to pay that $100, the Treasury has to find that $100 some other place.”
In other words we have been lied to.  Barack Obama’s signature Health Care plan will be adding at least an additional half a trillion dollars to the deficit.  But that’s not all.  Foster exposed some other lies we have been told about Obamacare.
Remember when President Obama said that everyone would be able to keep his or her present coverage?  Foster explained the plan was devised so that people in private Medicare Advantage plans will have to find other coverage. He predicted that about 7 million of plan-holders would have to change providers because Obamacare gradually cuts generous government payments to the Advantage plans, so insurers are expected to raise premiums or even drop out.
Last April Foster’s office issued a report that predicted Obamacare will drive doctors away from accepting Medicare because it adds an estimated 34 million people to the Medicare rolls, creating a high demand for doctors’ services by low-reimbursement Medicare patients. 
Just before the health care bill was passed, then Speaker Nancy Pelosi said “But we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it, away from the fog of controversy.” She was correct, almost a year after its passage, we are finding out that the president and those in congress, who voted for the bill, lied to us when they said the bill would not add to the national debt and would not necessitate changes for those who already have insurance.

Jeff Dunetz is the Editor/Publisher of the political blog “The Lid” (www.jeffdunetz.com). Jeff contributes to some of the largest political sites on the internet including American Thinker, Big Government, Big Journalism, NewsReal and Pajama’s Media, and has been a guest on national radio shows including G. Gordon Liddy, Tammy Bruce and Glenn Beck. Jeff lives in Long Island.